Visitors to the U.S. will have to scan their index fingers and have their face digitally photographed at the border point. The information will be run through a database of people the U.S. has barred from entry, or who it wants for immigration or criminal investigations.

Homeland Security will store the information indefinitely within a national database, but says it will restrict the use of information.

American officials say the fingerscanning and photographing process will take about 15 seconds.

Washington is spending $340 million US on inkless fingerscanning machines, digital cameras and computer equipment for the new security program. Another $340 million US will be spent in 2005.